The State of Citizen Security in Mexico: The Pe帽a Nieto Administration鈥檚 First Year in Review
Over the last decade, Mexico has faced serious law enforcement and security challenges, due to heightened violent crime and limited institutional capacity in the criminal justice sector. The challenges include improving basic law enforcement, confronting powerful organized crime networks, professionalizing police and judicial sector, protecting human rights, and promoting a culture of lawfulness. Mexican authorities and security experts have identified these challenges as part of a broader need to improve the provision of basic citizen security.
Mexico鈥檚 President Enrique Pe帽a Nieto made several bold promises on how he would improve citizen security while on the campaign trail in 2012, including the claim that his administration would cut violence by 50% during his first year in office. Since he assumed the presidency in December 20132, there has been ample debate about the state of security in Mexico. Toward his first year鈥檚 end, official government figures project an overall decrease in national homicide rates, despite increases in certain parts of the country. However, many critics have charged that the Pe帽a Nieto government has deliberately downplayed or even manipulated the country鈥檚 crime statistics to project a better image both at home and abroad.
To provide a careful examination of the Pe帽a Nieto administration鈥檚 handling of security matters and the state of citizen security, the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars will host a workshop with leading policy analysts from the United States and Mexico. Of particular interest will be the available indicators of crime trends, analysis of the specific policy measures of the Pe帽a Nieto administration, and the efforts of civil society to confront recent security problems in Mexico.
Read a related paper by one of the panelists, Matthew Ingram, at this link.
Speakers

Professor and Graduate Director, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of San Diego; Director, "Justice in Mexico" Project


Hosted By
Mexico Institute
The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis T茅llez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute. Read more